| Public Release Date: June 26, 1998 | No. 98-37 |
The Metropolitan Mosquito Control District operates under the authority of Minn. Stat. Sections 473.701 to 473.716. The district was created to control mosquitoes and black gnats and to monitor Lyme ticks in the metropolitan area. The district is governed by the Metropolitan Mosquito Control Commission. The commission is comprised of representatives from the following counties: Anoka, Carver, Dakota, Hennepin, Ramsey, Scott, and Washington counties. The district's executive director is Joseph Sanzone.
The primary objective of the audit was to issue an opinion on the district's financial statements for the year ended December 31, 1997. As part of this objective, we considered the district's internal control structure for cash and investments, revenue and receipts, operating expenditures, payroll, consumable inventory, and fixed assets. We also tested compliance with significant finance-related legal provisions.
At December 31, 1997, the Metropolitan Mosquito Control District reported total General Fund equity of approximately $6.4 million. Of this amount, over $6.1 million represents unreserved fund balance. The district reported total General Fund assets of $6.9 million, of which $6.3 million is cash and short term investments. The district's cash balance is generally higher near the end of a year due to the timing of property tax payments and the limited extent of control work being conducted. Other assets of the district, accounted for in the General Fixed Asset Account Group, include property and equipment of $1.6 million and buildings of $6.7 million.
For the fiscal year ended December 31, 1997, the district collected approximately $7 million, primarily from property tax levies. The district's expenditures for control purpose totaled $6.8 million or 89 percent of total expenditures. Total revenues and expenditures were approximately 3.4 and 10.6 percent more, respectively, than the preceding fiscal year. The district's expenditures exceeded its revenues for the fiscal year by $579,000.
The district's financial statements for fiscal year ending December 31, 1997, were fairly stated in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP).
In regards to the district's compliance with finance-related legal provisions and its internal controls over financial reporting, we found no issues required to be reported under the Government Auditing Standards.
